Like Stars
by FairyLightsAndGlitter
Summary: Ariane Longbottom is in her Sixth Year at Hogwarts and has accepted that her teenage years will be dull and unremarkable. Then she makes friends with Rose and Dominique Weasley and is catapulted into an exciting world of friendship and laughter and dizzy happiness and she realises exactly what it is she's missed out on all the time she's been accepting less than she deserves.
1. Prologue

**Like Stars**

_Oh, the night makes you a star_  
_And it holds you cold in its arms_  
_You're the one to whom nobody verses I love you_  
_Unless you say it first_  
_So you lie there holding your breath_  
_And it's strange how soon you forget_  
_That you're like stars_  
_They only show up when it's dark_  
_Cause they don't know their worth  
_ ~Anna Nalick- Shine_  
_

* * *

_**Prologue**_

As I pulled myself and my case into the compartment Molly had found for us on the train, I couldn't help but sigh at the routineness of the exercise. This was the sixth September I'd be boarding the Hogwarts Express and I couldn't wait for next year's September to be the very last. In just two years I'd be free from this monotony, free from dull classes and dull people and this dull, unsatisfactory way of life. One of these said dull people was, unfortunately, my supposed best friend, Molly Weasley. Molly Weasley the second, I should maybe add, not her lovely grandmother. Molly was currently speaking to me, although a strong case could be made for her talking at me rather than to me. Nodding at whatever it was she was saying, I took a seat across from her and feigned an expression of interest.

"You're not even listening to me, Riane." stated Molly, looking at me disapprovingly.

"I am, I am. You were telling me about your summer-" I replied slowly, hoping she'd go into another monologue and leave me to my back-to-school musings.

"Yes. Now as I was saying, last month I saw Catherine Finnigan in Madam Malkins and all I could think about was how unfair and wrong is it, you know?"

I nodded and sighed ever so slightly. Molly had this bee in her bonnet about how Catherine Finnigan was this year's Fifth Year Gryffindor prefect instead of Lucy, her sister. Personally, I didn't see the big deal; Lucy had always been more interested in boys and beauty than in grades and responsibility and Molly was forever trying to change that. Molly was forever trying to change everyone and I was growing tired of it. It isn't normal to think such nasty things about your closest friends, I know that. All I can say is that sometimes you're unlucky and you choose the wrong friends in your first year and then you're stuck with them for what could be the duration of your time at Hogwarts. Disappointing time at Hogwarts, I might add. Quietly, I listened to Molly speak for another ten minutes whilst surreptitiously checking my watch every now and then. Eventually, a gap in Molly's flow of words presented itself to me and I was able to remind her that she had five minutes until her prefect meeting and train patrols. Molly got up soon after, leaving me alone in a nice quiet compartment.

Part of me was tempted to go and join the others from our dorm in the compartment next door, but despite having shared a bedroom and bathroom with them for the last five years, I barely knew them and wasn't sure what I'd say to them, let alone what Molly would be like if she saw me with them. It wasn't that I cared about Molly's feelings per se, it was more that I simply could not be bothered to listen to her ranting and whining and reminding me of how much better we are, of how much better and more superior she was. Two years, I told myself, in two years I would be so totally finished with all of this shit. Pulling a novel from my bag to read for the duration of the journey, I sighed at how I seemed to be the only person at Hogwarts who didn't want to be there and then in spite of myself, I hoped that maybe this year would be different.


	2. Chapter 1- Free

**Like Stars**

* * *

_I'm free and I breathe_  
_So the change is up to you_  
_To be free and release_  
_All the shit you used to do_

~The Maine

**Chapter 1~ Free**

"Remind me why we're in the library on a Saturday night. Again." I asked Molly, not even trying to take the annoyance out of my voice.

"Because exams are in five months and we're smart enough to want to get a head start." she replied, giving me one of her stupid annoying patronising smiles.

"You mean you are." I muttered, pulling a book from the bottom of the pile she'd just oh-so neatly lined up and grinning slightly when it all tumbled down.

"What was that, Riane? Oh, look what you made happen, you really are so clumsy." she scolded, reminding me more and more of her bloody dull parents with every second.

"Well my dad is the famously clumsy Neville Longbottom, what can I say?" I asked jokingly, flashing her a false smile which in hindsight I realise was more of a grimace. She didn't reply, suddenly lost in a textbook of some kind about goblin legislation. Rolling my eyes, I entertained the thought of leaving the library and going to the Quidditch victory party in our common room and actually not being bored out of my skull for once.

"Molly, how about we skip studying and go to the party for once?" I asked hesitantly, not wanting to have to be alone if I were to go. I knew, however, what her response would be:

"Don't be silly, Riane. You'll be thanking me when you have straight Os next year and you'll be able to earn a living that means you can attend as many mindless pointless parties as you want!" she said, giving me a smile that I knew was ever so slightly passive aggressive. I scowled at her and thought about getting up and leaving for the party alone, but I knew I'd feel odd and out of place there, given that Molly was unfortunately the only person I really knew properly. Instead, I decided that maybe I may as well just study my stupidly bored heart out and hope to maybe even beat her in NEWTs next year, the thought of that made me smile a little, I've always loved to see Molly beaten by people she considers inferior.

"Of course, Molly. You are totally right, thank you for putting me back onto the right path." I replied, maybe over-egging the sarcastic pudding, so to speak. As I got out my quill and parchment, I barely manage to stifle a laugh at how stupid and dysfunctional our apparent friendship was. It was sad, really, to dislike your supposed best friend as much as I disliked Molly. Quite funny though, I couldn't help but think.

I settled into a chair began to write notes on some of the charms we'd studied so far this year, in my head I cast the more violent ones at the annoying redhead sat across from me. With luck, I would have to put up with her for just another year and six months and that was almost enough to make me smile.

* * *

I was in a hurry as usual. I had overslept and was frantically brushing my hair, knowing that if I didn't leave the dorm in exactly two minutes, I would have to chance of catching breakfast before double Potions. I quickly straightened my red and gold tie and pulled my hair into a high ponytail before slipping on my shoes and rushing out of the door and down the staircase and out of the portrait hole. As I rushed down a corridor, I caught a glimpse of Molly's least favourite cousins and wondered if they were as bad as she always made them out to be. As far as Molly was concerned, Rose and Dominique were disgraceful Slytherin tarts who made a mockery of the whole school system. How they did that I had no idea, as after five and a bit years of classes with them they'd consistently simply appeared bored and amused to be there. Like me, I supposed.

I was lucky enough to arrive at breakfast with five minutes to eat, so I slipped into the space beside Molly and grabbed some toast, tuning out her typical lecture about how I need to come up with ways to sleep better so I don't need to sleep in so late when I need to be up and ready for the day. Somehow I didn't think telling her I hadn't been asleep until late because I'd been thinking indulgently about hexes to use on her to shut her up would be the correct response, so I kept quiet and concentrated on my toast.

"Riane, we have to go in a minute. Are you ready?" she asked loudly, her lecture seemingly over. I suppressed a sigh and an eye roll. It never failed to annoy me how she always made us leave a minute before we needed to leave, being early for classes was always so dull and I hated standing outside a classroom with just Molly for company. At least when it was more than just me, I wasn't the only one feeling bored and pissed off at her. Smiling in a way that I sort of hoped wasn't too obviously sarky and bitchy, I left the Great Hall with her, wondering if she knew how much everyone disliked her. As I mused about that, we wandered down the stairs to the dungeons and it was then that it struck me that people must have no opinion on me at all: I kept quiet and hung around with annoying Molly Weasley. I did nothing and I was nothing and in that moment, I found that quite a depressing thought. At least Molly was memorable.

Molly and I took our usual seats in Slughorn's classroom and I sat in silence and waited for the lesson to begin. I was really hoping he'd give us a written or individual practical or something because, as usual, the thought of paired work with Molly made me feel ill. Molly was the ultimate dictator when it came to school work and I really hated taking orders from someone I knew to be no better than myself. Unfortunately, Slughorn did not grant me that wish. He did, however, give it a twist that I hoped would work to my advantage:

"For the next few weeks, you will be working in small groups to produce an ambitious potion of your choosing along with a detailed presentation on the appropriate use, history of, and pros and cons of your chosen potion. I will be choosing the groups, though." he told us firmly, ignoring the groans of a few class members. Molly rolled her eyes at the immaturity of some NEWT students and I rolled my eyes at the middle-agedness of Molly Ann Weasley.

I was so busy feeling annoyed at Molly that I nearly missed myself being put into a group:

"Miss Longbottom, I'd like for you to move to the back of the room and work with Miss Weasley and Miss Weasley from Slytherin." he said, and Molly offered me a stupid sympathetic look as I picked up my bag and joined Rose and Dominique at the back of the room. I took my new seat just in time to hear Molly get paired with some of those who had groaned at the prospect of mixing up the groups. I tried to stifle a laugh, unsure of who I felt more sorry for.

"I'm not sure who I feel more sorry for!" Dominique whispered loudly, and I turned around to face her, surprised. "Something wrong, Longbottom?" she asked, her mouth twitching into what could have been a mocking smile and I got the impression that maybe she'd hoped to provoke me by insulting Molly.

"No, it's just that that's exactly what I was thinking," I muttered shyly, half regretting my words the moment they feel from my lips. Dominique's stupidly beautiful features twisted into a genuine smile and she offered me her hand. I shook it slightly hesitantly and then she introduced herself:

"Hi, I'm Dom Weasley and everything dear Molly's told you about me is either painfully true or complete bullshit," she grinned, "and that's Rose Weasley in a world of her own, most likely thinking about how unfair it is that we got you rather than her boyfriend." she added, pointing at the daydreaming redhead beside her.

"Um, I'm sorry-" I began, unsure of how to respond.

"Don't apologise, I'm sure you'll be much more interesting than Scor. At least you will be for me, he's probably more interesting when you have your tongue down his throat, right Rose?" Dominique grinned, poking her tongue out.

"Huh, what are you on about, I heard Scor's name-" Rose asked dreamily.

"Of course you heard Scor's name," Dominique rolled her eyes and I giggled.

"Shut up, Dom. Hello Ariane, it is nice to meet you without the formidable presence of our delightful cousin. Wait, maybe we shouldn't be bitching about Molly because-" said Rose, looking at me and then at Dominique with wide eyes.

"Relax, Rose. While you were mooning over Scorpius Mouth-boy, me and Longbottom bonded over a shared cruel comment about dear Molly." Dom said, grinning and gesturing at me.

"Yes, but they're friends. You two are friends, right? You and Molly?" Rose asked me, her blue eyes still huge and confused.

"She's really idealistic," Dominique whispered to me dramatically, raising an eyebrow and theatrically flipping her long blonde hair.

"I heard that, Dom, shut up. Just because I think people should like their friends doesn't mean I'm naive, okay?"

"Whatever. You don't like Molly, though, do you Longbottom? I see the way you roll your eyes the moment she opens her mouth in class." Dominique said to me, and I held back my surprise at having been noticed at all before nodding.

"Okay, so which potion are we thinking?" Rose asked us, changing the subject and pulling out her copy of Advanced Potion Making and placing it on the round table in front of us.

"Something scandalous." yawned Dom, rolling her eyes and putting the end of her quill in her mouth and holding it like a cigarette.

"Ignore Dom, she's a waste of space in this class. What do you think?" Rose asked me.

"Well if we want to go down the scandalous route, how about we find the one with the most entertaining side-effects." I suggested to the two of them. Rose grinned at me and began flicking through the book, Dom nodded. I took a bottle of pumpkin juice from my bag and began drinking from it.

"I like you, Ariane Longbottom," she simply stated. "What sort of entertaining though? Are we thinking awkward and embarrassing or genuinely damaging?"

"Oooh how about this one? It's a version of Amortentia and can result in um, very obvious physical signs of arousal." Rose giggled, myself and Dom nodded and joined in.

"Sounds entertaining, please say we can slip some to Scor or Tom in Div!" Dom said to Rose, winking jokingly.

"You are horrible Dom and besides, getting Scor hard doesn't require a potion." Rose replied with a suggestive eyebrow raise, I spluttered out the pumpkin juice.

"Don't worry, you'll get used to this, to us." Dom grinned, gesturing to the board where Slughorn had written that we had a month of these groupwork potion presentations. I smiled and shook my head, finding the page for the potion in my textbook and beginning to read how to go about making it.

* * *

That evening, I lay face down on a sofa close to the fire in our common room and closed my eyes, hoping to maybe get a nap in before dinner while Molly complained about the 'immature imbeciles' she'd been made to work with in Potions. She'd been droning on for almost fifteen minutes and I couldn't see anything stopping her from continuing for another quarter of an hour at the very least. Unfortunately, her high pitched and slightly nasal voice doesn't really aid sleep. I've always thought it was a shame her voice wasn't as dull as her personality.

As I lay there trying to tune her out, I couldn't help but think about how my feelings towards her had gone from mild annoyance to outright dislike in the last couple of months. I really didn't like her, she was boring and self-centred and thought way too much of herself, I'd also noticed how all she ever seemed to do when she could be bothered to ask me anything about me was to either tear me down or make it clear how superior she was. She didn't know the first thing about me and I knew far too much about her. In being her friend, I'd kind of lost grip on who I was as well. At that moment, I'd probably have no idea at all how to define myself and that worried me a little. Something had to change. Something had to change soon. I would have to change soon. Maybe having no friends would be better than just having Molly.

My thoughts had successfully tuned Molly out, so with that slightly daunting thought, I fell half asleep.

* * *

**Two weeks later**, I was running late as usual. Classes were to start in just ten minutes and I'd only just woken up so there wasn't even a slim chance of breakfast before my first period Transfiguration lesson. Making a mental note to buy an alarm clock in Hogsmeade next weekend, I rushed around the room getting dressed and ready for another cold late January day. I ran into the bathroom to clean my teeth and as I glanced at my reflection in the mirror, I scowled when I noticed a horribly conspicuous spot on my chin and scowled again when I realised I had absolutely no time to do anything about it until lunch at the earliest. I wrapped my cloak around myself, picked up my bag and left the room, walking briskly down the staircase and through the common room and out of the portrait hole and down the stairs and halfway along the fourth floor corridor and finally I got to class. I was exactly on time, but as I entered the room the first thing I saw was Molly giving me one of her disapproving looks. Naturally, I wanted to rip her smug little throat out but smiled at her and slipped into the seat beside her, annoyed that I had to be that close to someone I disliked that much.

The work that day was fairly easy, I completely understood the self-transfiguration we were being taught and had changed my hair colour five times in just a couple of minutes, I had gone from my natural blonde-ish colour to dark brown to violet to red to pink to platinum blonde and then back again. Sighing, I had my usual wish for an essay to write and then sat up straight and looked around at the old classroom. Beside me, Molly was struggling and had so far succeeded only in turning her pale ginger hair just a little lighter. I had offered to help her, but she'd just given me a grumpy look and told me she was managing fine. Across the room from us, Albus Potter had turned his black hair red and had stripes of gold running through it and his friend Fred Weasley had transfigured his black hair into a lion's mane; Rose and Dom Weasley, who were seated opposite them, started giggling about how he looked like a villain from some Muggle film called 'The Lion King'. Rose and Dom had swapped hair colours at this point, Dominique's straight silvery blonde hair was now Rose's exact shade of vibrant red whilst Rose's curls were now silver-blond. Rose saw me looking and waved me over to their large table at the back of their room. Quickly looking at Molly and seeing her angry and deep in concentration, I crossed the room and joined the large group Molly generally labelled 'troublemakers'.

"Hi Riane, your pink hair was cool," Rose greeted me with a grin, "do you like my Dom hair?"

"Yeah, it looks great, weird not seeing you with red hair, though!" I replied, smiling back slightly hesitantly. I'd become sort of friends with Rose and Dominique over the fortnight we'd been working on our potion so far, but this was the first time we were talking outside of obligatory group work and I was surprised and pleased to be included in this class context.

"Why'd you change yours back? I swear you went like nine different colours and then just stopped." Dom asked, giving me an odd look.

"Well I'd um, decided I'd made it clear I could do the spell so I-" I replied slowly, not really wanting to give the real reason I hadn't gone through the entire spectrum of colour as I knew I was capable of doing. I just didn't want to show off, that was it really.

"That's stupid. This is fun, Riane, and you're incredible at it, why not show off what you can do?" she asked me.

"It just feels a bit rude, you know?" I replied, unsure of whether 'rude' was the right word. It was just that I felt really uncomfortable broadcasting stuff I could do, so it felt weird.

"Nothing wrong with putting on a show from time to time, Riane. Don't waste your stupidly cool abilities." she said. Rose nodded and gave me an encouraging smile.

"Wow, that sounded almost soft and nice and inspirational Dom, ten points to you!" laughed Scorpius Malfoy, his blonde hair now an odd shade of violet, as he approached the three of us, putting an arm around Rose's waist and kissing the top of her temporarily blonde head.

"Go away Scor, no one wants you here." Dom replied, poking her tongue out at him.

"Rose wants me here and I'm sure that Riane doesn't object to my presence, right Rose and Riane?"

"Wrong," Rose laughed in reply, "you have me under Amortentia and Riane doesn't know how much of a twat you are yet so she has no opinion you yet."

"See? Bye bye Scorpius." said Dom, waving him away as Rose steered him towards the others at the table. He pouted as he was pushed away, but I couldn't help but notice the laughter in his eyes and then the joy in them when Rose swiftly kissed him on the cheek.

"They're hopelessly in love, in case you hadn't guessed." Dom informed me unnecessarily, rolling her eyes a little.

"They do seem very happy." I replied, unable to ignore the identically peaceful smiles both wore even as they started up a mock duel a few seats away from us and proceeded to change each other's hair colour repeatedly.

"They are. A bit sicky, really, but they are the genuine thing. Been together since the end of Second Year and still aren't even remotely sick of each other."

"Wow. They were the two Trelawney made her prediction about in that first Thrid Year lesson, right?" I asked, suddenly remembering the mad old woman's declarations about a couple in the room who would be married before a decade was up.

"Yeah, it's crazy to think that she was probably right. Anyway Riane, how is your love life?" she asked with a wink. I was surprised, so far we hadn't really touched upon personal stuff just yet but still, it was refreshing to have someone interested in my life, even in the boring classroom gossip sense.

"Non existent." was my unfortunately truthful reply.

"Join the gang." she replied, much to my surprise.

"You? But I'd heard that you were-"

"A slut. Yeah, for some reason there are all kinds of rumours about me. For the record, I've never even kissed anybody!" she told me, shaking her head.

"Neither have I." I said, shocked and relieved to not be the only one. Besides Molly, that was.

"Wow, nice to know I'm not the only one!" was Dom's laughing reply, as she settled into a chair and gestured at the seat beside it for me to sit. I sat, and looking around I saw that Rose and Scorpius were still duelling with hair colour and that Molly's hair was still only marginally different.

For the remainder of the lesson, we sat and chatted, every now and then changing hair colour when the Professor walked past. Towards the end of class, Rose joined us again, her hair every colour of the rainbow and wearing a huge smile on her face. She was so obviously happy that just looking at her made me smile and I wondered if I'd ever be so in love with life that I shone like Rose did right then.

* * *

A few hours later, I sat in the common room with Molly after lunch. We had a free period, but sitting with Molly and her grumpy pouting face made me feel anything but free.

"Why are you being so off with me, Molly?" I asked, knowing the answer but also knowing that she wanted to moan at me and deciding I may as well get it over with.

"Why did you ditch me in Transfiguration for those Slytherins?" she asked, hurt and annoyed.

"Because I had finished the spellwork and so had they and you didn't want my help so I thought I may as well have some fun for once." I replied, deciding it was time to cut the bullshit and to stop pretending.

"But why them? They're just mean slu-"

"Don't call them sluts, Molly. You don't know them. They're your cousins and you don't know them, do you know how sad and messed up that is?" I said.

"Just being cousins doesn't mean I'm obliged to like them, you know. But that's beside the point, you still ditched me for them and that was quite unkind of you and it hurt my feelings." she said, sounding so wounded that I almost rolled my eyes at her.

"Well what could I have done besides sitting beside you doing and saying nothing, Molly? I'm getting to know Rose and Dom through our Potions project and I like what I know and it's not your place to tell me who I can and can't talk to." I replied, I felt surprised at myself for being so blunt with her.

"But they are so horrible! Rose is all stupid and ditzy and Dominique is so rude and cruel. What's to like about them?" she asked, perplexed.

"I'm not trying to be mean here, Molly, but you spent all lesson going just a few shades lighter and Rose and her boyfriend kept firing colouring spell after colouring spell at each other so expertly that they both ended up with rainbow hair. How the hell can you call Rose stupid?"

"You've changed, Ariane, you're just like horrible Dominique now, just like all the Slytherins." she said, looking at me like she'd hoped to provoke me.

"Well with Gryffindors like you, maybe I'm flattered to be told I'm like the Slytherins." I simply said, before turning around and leaving the common room and ignoring her shocked and indignant expression.

* * *

I wandered along the corridors, not really going anywhere in particular, just thinking and feeling and wondering what to do next. It felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my chest, I had finally stood up to Molly and I no longer cared that this left me without any proper friends. Being alone was better than being in a toxic friendship and I knew that the moment I had walked away from Molly. I felt so free right then, there was something so liberating about no longer having to pretend any longer, I no longer had to pretend to be Molly's friend and that was a beautiful thought. Being friends with Molly had been exhausting and annoying and infuriating, I'd always had the impression that she thought herself to be so much better than me, and over the years her superiority complex had simply grown and grown and grown. It had to got to the stage where she was almost holding me back so I couldn't shine as bright as she could and that had been awful. And now it wasn't awful, now it was just over. I was so completely finished with Molly Ann Weasley, I was so completely over being the least important person, the least interesting- I had that role in my family, so why on earth did I allow myself to fall into that role in the context of friendship? My last year and a half at Hogwarts would most likely now pass without me ever being especially close to anybody, but that would be okay. No one needs friends who make them feel like shit, and I didn't know why it had taken me so long to realise that not having friends was better than having a friend who makes you feel crap. I would be alone, but I would be alright. things would change and I would change and I was better off alone than unhappy. I walked out into the bright and freezing school grounds and felt better than I had felt in years.


End file.
